Sales stimulator



March l, 1938. s. WORTH 2,109,603 l SALES STIMULATOR Filed June 4, 1936 @j ff i5 www.

Patented Mar. 1, 17938V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The invention relates to improvements in sales Stimulators and more particularly to novelly constructed cards having portions thereof adapted to be removed to facilitate detachment of means y normally concealing data therein.

An object of the invention is to provide anv article of the character referred to with novel means to facilitate easy removal of the information concealing portion.

l0 Another object is to provide an article of the type referred to with tamper-proof means to prevent unauthorized exposure of the information concealed therein.

Another object is to provide an article of the character referred to which is highly effective as a trade stimulator and inexpensive in use and manufacture.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe improved card embodying one adaptation of the invention.

Fig. y2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the card half used.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the card entirely used.

Fig. 4 is a.view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of construction.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, partly broken away, showing another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a card embodying another construction.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a sheet laid out for making cards of the type shown in Fig. 1, with the backing sheet partially secured thereto.

The card shown in Figs. 1 to 3. inclusive, in-

cludes a front sheet II preferably consisting of a substantially rectangular piece of heavy paper or cardboard having'indicia bearing portions I2 and I3, printed or otherwise reproduced upon its front face adjacent one end. The sheet II preferably has suitable rows of perforation I4 preferably defining, in part,.two panels I5-I5a. Indicia bearing portions I2a and I3a, respectively, complete the outline of the two panels.

A backing sheet I6 'is secured over the back face of the front sheet II by a suitable adhesive I1, as best shown in Fig. 7. The two spaced apart panels I5--I5a, however, are not secured to the backing sheet and said backing sheet preferably contains suitable information data I8 arranged to lie directly behind the panels Iii-lia for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

Accordingly, upon removal of either one or both of the panels I5, such information data contained on the backing sheet behind the panel removed is exposed to view. It is obvious however that the information need not necessarily be reproduced upon the back sheet but may, if desired, be reproduced upon the back face of i0 each panel I5 as shown in Fig. 7.

The use to which these cards may be put is such that upon performance of certain conditions the indicia bearing portions I2 and -I2a are punched or otherwise removed from the card l5 prior to removal of the panel I5 and the indicia bearing portions I3 and I3a must likewise be removed before the panel lia can be removed. One use by which the foregoing may be accomplished is to use the cards as trade Stimulators 20 wherein a retail dealer, for example, distributes these cards free to personswithin trading distance with the request that the cards be presented to his store whenever convenient at which time one or more of the indicia bearing portions 25 will be punched out. When the indicia bearing portions I2 have all been removed the indicia bearing portions I2a are removed thus freeing one edge of the panel I5 to facilitate insertion of a knife or the nger nail between said panel 30 and the backing sheet for tearing the panel from the sheet Il along the lines of perforation I4 as best shown in Fig. 2. The holder of the card then is given the article listed in the information data thus exposed which article in every 35 instance is of the same value as any other article listed beneath the other panel on the card or beneath the panels of other cards which may have been distributed. After receiving the ar ticle listed beneath panel I5 the holder retains '40 the card and subsequent calls result inthe ultimate removal of the indicia bearing portions I3 followed by punching out the indicia bearing portions i3d as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon one edge of the panel l5a is free and said panel can 45 lthen be removed and the article listed delivered the goodwill builtup through personal contact` with prospective customers and through any advertising tradesmen may place on the cards.

i As shown in Fig. 4 the indicia bearing portions I 2a and I3a may extend along three sides of the respective'panels I5 and I5a, and the other side of each panel may be defined by the line of perforations I4 as shown in panel I5 or no line of perforations need be provided as shown in the panel I5a.

The card illustrated in Fig. 5 has the panels I5-I5a arranged adjacent the indicia bearing portions I2-I3 with the last row of said portions dening one edge of each panel.

Another adaptation is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein a single panel I5 is entirely -surrounded by removable indicia bearing portions I2a which must be removed prior to removal of the panel.

The front face of the front sheet Il and the back face of the backing sheet I'I may contain printed matter in addition to the indicia bearing portions previously referred to, such as for example, the name and address of the merchant distributing the card together with such pictorial or advertising matter desirable. If desired the back sheet I6 may contain lines of perforations coinciding with those in the front sheet to permit removal of a portion of the back sheet corresponding to the panel upon removal of the latter. The various arrangements shown and described herein are very desirable because they prevent tampering with the panel which cannot be lifted without evidence of mutilation. Unauthorized removal or mutilation of the panels or indicia voids the card. y

Although exemplary forms of the invention have been described in detail in the foregoing specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawing it is obvious that the size and shape of the card and the panels is not to be limited and that it is not desired to limit this invention to those speciiic forms shown but to embrace all similar arrangements which may fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

An article of the character described comprising, a ticket of double ply construction having normally concealed indicia on the inner face of one ply, a tearing panel carried in the other ply for producing a window opening to expose 

